As a parent or guardian of a high school athlete in Maryland, you see every day how hard your student-athlete works – to get and stay in shape, to learn and grow the skills they need to do well in their sport, and to keep up with and pass their school coursework. It's almost like they have two full-time jobs, which means they probably rely on you a lot.
You've helped them get to their practices and competitions, you've made sure they have the clothing and equipment they need, and you've worked with them through difficult homework assignments, school projects, and test preparation. But there is one more way you can be particularly helpful to your student-athlete, and that's making sure they remain eligible to participate in the sports that they love.
The Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association (MPSSAA) is responsible for the rules and regulations that apply to public high school sports in Maryland. This includes not only issues relating to student eligibility but also matters that apply to schools, coaches, officials, and fans. Because their handbook runs for more than 70 pages, it can be a bit difficult to wade through it to find the portions that relate to student-athletes. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has compiled this summary of those parts of the MPSSAA rules and regulations that relate to student-athlete eligibility to help parents and guardians make sure their students remain eligible throughout their high school careers.
Age-Limit and Season-Limit Restrictions
In Maryland, student-athletes remain eligible to compete in high school sports provided they are under the age of 19. If they turn 19 on or before August 31 of any year, they will not be eligible to compete during that upcoming school year. If they turn 19 after August 31, they will be.
Student-athletes are also eligible to compete in no more than four seasons of any single sport. Seasons played at a non-MPSSAA high school (whether in Maryland or out of state) count towards this total.
Unlike many other state high school athletic associations, the MPSSAA has no rules or regulations that permit hardship or other types of waivers or appeals to be made to either of these eligibility rules.
Academic Eligibility Requirements
The MPSSAA requires student-athletes to be “officially registered and attending” the school they are competing for.
Aside from that requirement, the MPSSAA leaves much of the regulation regarding the academic eligibility of student-athletes to local school districts. Specifically, the MPSSAA rules state that “[e]ach local school system shall establish standards of participation” that make sure student-athletes “are making satisfactory progress toward graduation.”
This means that the standards for athletic eligibility may vary from one school district to another and that the ability to appeal grading decisions or to request waivers or hardship exemptions from those standards is also going to vary from district to district and even from school to school.
If your student-athlete is facing a loss of eligibility due to their grades or other academic issues, Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help you understand the standards that your student's school uses to determine academic eligibility and any procedures that may apply to waiver requests or appeals related to those standards. They have experience helping students in high schools across the country with issues related to local school policies and can advise and represent you and your student-athlete in dealings with your student's school.
School Disciplinary Defense
As with grading, your student's school can impose its own disciplinary requirements on the students who attend. And when you consider the fact that student-athletes spend far more time in class than they do on the field, the possibility that your student-athlete may face disciplinary actions that can result in a loss of eligibility are higher for in-school behavior than for their behavior in practice or during competitions.
All schools have codes of conduct or rules set forth in handbooks that usually cover the different types of ways that the school can administer discipline to students. Typically discipline ranges from verbal warnings, to probationary actions, to detention, suspension from extracurricular activities, in-school or out-of-school suspensions, to expulsion. These codes of conduct are important because they give students advance notice of what the school expects of them and what the consequences may be if they don't follow school rules.
The problem is that busy school administrators do not always have the time or the skills to fairly investigate and make decisions about allegations of student misconduct. This means that not all decisions that they make about student misconduct are fair ones.
If your student-athlete has been accused of serious misconduct in school that could result in them losing their eligibility to compete in the sport that they love, contact Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team for help. They have advised and helped high school students all over the country with school disciplinary investigations, meetings, and hearings, and this experience means they know how to look out for your student's rights in these kinds of situations. From conducting an investigation on behalf of your student, to reviewing the allegations and evidence against them, to negotiating with school officials and representing your student in disciplinary proceedings, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help make sure that your student is fairly treated in these kinds of difficult and stressful situations.
Discipline for On-Field Behavior
Student-athletes who are ejected from competitions for unsportsmanlike conduct face fairly severe penalties as a result. In addition to being ejected from that particular competition, under MPSSAA rules, they are also ineligible to compete for the next 60 school days (which can be 12 calendar weeks or more, depending on school holidays). A second ejection will result in loss of eligibility for the entire next season of competition. And a third ejection will result in “additional penalties as may seem justified in the particular case considered.”
There is a formal appeal procedure in these types of cases. Appeals may be made by the student-athlete or the school and are directed to the Appeals Committee of the MPSSAA, which will conduct a hearing on the appeal. Decisions of the MPSSAA can be appealed to the Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, who may, if the Superintendent accepts the appeal, appoint a committee of three local superintendents to hear the appeal. Decisions of this committee are final.
Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team understand the disciplinary appeal process. With their years of experience helping student-athletes facing similar issues, they are able to help you and your student-athlete prepare an effective appeal and present it to the MPSSAA Appeals Committee as well as, if necessary, the Maryland State Superintendent's committee.
Transfer Requirements in Maryland
Unlike many other state high school athletic associations, the MPSSAA does not have a detailed set of rules for determining whether or when a transfer student is eligible to compete in athletics at their new school. As with academic eligibility, this is left to the discretion of local school districts, and the MPSSAA rules state only that “Students legally transferred to another school may participate.”
By “legally transferred,” the MPSSAA means “a change of residence” or “a transfer from one school to another by an action approved by the local superintendent of schools.” Because transfer requirements can vary widely from district to district, if your student-athlete is considering a transfer to another high school that is not part of a move by your family to a new residence, contact Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team for help. They can help you locate, review, and understand the school transfer policies that will apply to your situation and navigate what can sometimes be a confusing process to make sure your student-athlete keeps as much eligibility as possible at their new school.
Joseph D. Lento Can Help Keep Your Student-Athlete Competing
Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team have years of experience advising high school student-athletes and their families about eligibility and disciplinary issues at schools all over the country. If your student-athlete faces a situation that could have an adverse impact on their ability to compete in high school sports, you can help your student by contacting Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team for help. They understand the process, the policies behind the various eligibility rules, and how to work with schools and athletic associations to keep your student-athlete on the field. Call Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team today at 888.535.3686 or by using their online contact form to learn more about how they can help.
